Monsoon in Kerala

Monsoon in Kerala

The Invigorating Monsoon Showers of  God's Own Country

It's respite from the scorching sun, the sweat, the humidity and the dust of summer. It's nourishment to the thirsty land and its flora and fauna. It's much awaited, much loved and, often, much feared for the havoc it unleashes. But despite the inconveniences, the Monsoon is magic, and marks rejuvenation time in God's Own Country.

Monsoon comes from the Persian word mausam which means season. The first Monsoon showers of the year fall by the first of June. The south west Monsoon is locally called Edavappathi because it falls half way through the Malayalam month of Edavam (mid-May to mid-June). The continual downpour records a maximum of 104 cm during July. The state's peculiar position on the windward side of the mighty Western Ghats thus contributes to its lush greenery.

By September the rains abate and the days are bright and clear again for harvest and celebrations. It is at this time, when granaries are full and the backwaters flow in fullsome glee, that Kerala celebrates her annual harvest festival Onam (August/September). Most of the exciting snakeboat races on the backwaters too are conducted in this season.

The second spate of rains - the north east Monsoon or Thulavarsham - begins in late October and goes on into November. The Thulavarsham (the showers of the month of Thulam, mid-October to mid-November) is mostly confined to the evenings with loud bursts of thunder and spellbinding bouts of lightning. Despite the often heavy downpour, life in Kerala carries on as usual and temperature rarely dips below a pleasant 18 degree C.

The most interesting aspect of the Monsoon is that it has been considered, down the ages, as the best time for rejuvenation and revitalisation not only for nature but for man as well. It is the time when the air is pure and the pores of the body are open and most receptive to the rejuvenating regimens of Ayurveda. Realising the tourism potential of the Monsoons, Kerala Tourism has designed Monsoon Rejuvenation Packages, which are offered by the various Ayurveda resorts.

"But by early June the south-west monsoon breaks and there are three months of wind and water with short spells of sharp, glittering sunshine, that thrilled children snatch to play with. The country side turns an immodest green. Boundaries blur as tapioca fences take root and bloom. Brick walls turn mossgreen. Pepper vines snake up electric poles. Wild creepers burst through laterite banks and spill across the flooded roads. Boats ply in the bazaars. And small fish appear in the puddles that fill the PWD potholes on the highways".

- Arundathi Roy, 'The God of Small Things'